The Feast Of Dedication

Κἂν ἐν χειμῶναι ἐσμεν τῶν πολλῶν περιστάσεων, οὐ κωλυθησόμεθα ἐπιτελεῖν τὴν ἑορτὴν τῶν ἐγκαινίων ἐν τῇ Ἰερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ᾄδειν τῷ Κυρίῷ, καθά φησιν ὁ Δαυὶδ, ᾆσμα καινὸν, δηλαδὴ εὐαγγελικόν. Ἰερουσαλὴμ γὰρ νῦν νοείσθω μοι ἡ ψυχὴ, ἐν ᾗ ἐπιτελοῦμεν τὴν ἑορτὴν τῆς θεογνωσίας, καὶ παντοίας ἀρετῆς, διωθούμενοι μὲν τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἐπαμφισκόμενοι δὲ τὸν νέον τὸν κατ' εἰκόνα, καὶ ὁμοίωσιν τοῦ Κυρίου κτισθέντα· Ἀνακαινσθήσεται γὰρ ὡς ἀετοῦ ἡ νεότης σου. Ἐγένετο οὖν, φησὶ, τὰ ἐγκαίνια ἐν Ἰεροσολύμοις, καὶ χειμὼν ἦν. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΣΜΒ' Σωσανδρῳ Πριμισκρινιῳ Source: Migne PG 79.172b

Even when we are in a winter of many trials it is not forbidden to celebrate the feast of the dedication in Jerusalem and to sing to the Lord a new song, as David said, which is clearly the Gospel. For now I think of Jerusalem as the soul in which we celebrate the feast of Divine knowledge and all virtue, 'casting off the old man and putting on the new one created according to the image and likeness of the Lord.' 'Your youth shall be renewed like the eagle's.' 'It was then the feast of dedication at Jerusalem,' he says, 'and it was winter.' 1 Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 242, to Sosandros the Primiscrinius 1 Colos 3.10, Ps 102.5, Jn 10.22